We kicked off our 20th Anniversary Season this weekend with readings and rehearsals and old friends. It was a great start, and I wanted to fill in some of the details on the rest of the season as we know it.

The readings this weekend were part of First Flight New Play Festival, one of Boomerang’s signature programs. Normally, FF Readings take place over a single weekend and consist of 4-6 readings of new plays. For 2018, we are expanding the festival into a year-long celebration of new plays, featuring 20 new plays in development.

This weekend we featured the first four of those new plays (THE DYING FALL OF GARY FLETZNER by Adam Kraar; NICHIIWAD by Hal Corley; KNIFEPLAY by Shelley McPherson and PERSEPHONE (A NEW MYTH FOR A HOTTER WORLD) by Kristen Palmer) and we have five more readings coming up March 9th-11th, 2018. The remaining 11 will be presented in September and November, 2018. We think this abundance of new play readings will make an even larger impact on new play development, and continue to build the community that supports new work.

To support these readings, we have two big fundraising events that will get everyone up and dancing! We start on Feb 13th with BARDI GRAS, our own wild mashup of Shakespeare and Mardi Gras style. Last year’s party featured costume contests, trivia prizes, drink specials and beads beads beads! And this year’s party promises more of the same!

Images from Bardi Gras 2017

On Monday April 23rd, we celebrate the man himself, Will Shakespeare on the day he shook off this mortal coil. The celebration will feature songs, dancing, prizes, raffles and collaborations between our team and our theatrical colleagues throughout the city. Did you say “puppets?” Yes, there will be puppets.

And we close out the first half of the 20th Anniversary season with a return to where it all began in 1999…Central Park. Sara Thigpen will direct TWELFTH NIGHT, with performances beginning June 16th on the lawn at 69th Street and Central Park West. Expect music, disguises, true love, and bawdy hilarity.

There’s not a thing in this schedule you should miss! So save these dates!

The schedule:
February 13th–Bardi Gras!
March 9th-11th–First Flight 20 Readings
April 23rd–Shakespeare’s Death Day Celebration!
June 16th-July 17th–TWELFTH NIGHT in Central Park
September 2018–First Flight 20 Readings
October 2018–Mainstage production
November 2018–First Flight 20 Readings and Rock-n-Roles

If you wanted to donate to these programs, you could do so right here. And we’d be forever grateful.

Boomerang is happy to announce the list of Finalists for the 2017 FIRST FLIGHT New Play Festival. We are so excited to continue exploring these terrific new plays.

Finalists:

The Day We Were Born by Jaisey BatesHello, World! by Stephen BraccoThe Bigsley Project by Catherine CastellaniNichiiwad by Hal CorleyTV Boyfriend by Matthew A. EverettTape Don’t Lie by Kirby FieldsSycorax, Cyber Queen of Qamara by Fengar GaelWake by Vince GattonThe Alternate Possiblilities of Our Past and Future History with Particular Regard to the Identification of the Eastern Puma and The Corps of Discovery by Amy Gijsbers van WijkHotline by Jack GilhooleyElevator Girl by Donna HokeFake Plastic Love by Terence HughesThe Dying Fall of Gary Fletzner by Adam KraarSinner-Man by Liz MaestriKnifeplay by Shelley McPhersonThe Girl Who Lived by David Meyers“i am a drop’dead gorgeous, fabulous, stylish, exotic’ass gem amongst thousands of rocks” by elliot rodger by Matthew Paul OlmosPersephone, or things that come out of the ground by Kristen PalmerLush by Nicole PandolfoHungry by Lia RomeoDoor to Balloon by Greg RomeroSiamese Cycle by Tidtaya SinutokeMidwives by Suzanne TrauthKarate Hottie by Catherine Weingarten

Stats Update: 374 general submissions, broken down into 248 (66%) by Male Playwrights and 126 (34%) by Female Playwrights (note: This is not self identified, but rather an overview general observation of names.) From which, we selected 24 Finalist Round plays, with a breakdown of 11 (46%) by Male Playwrights and 13 (54%) by Female Playwrights.

We will announce the Participants in the 2017 Festival shortly, along with a full festival schedule.

If you would like to make a donation to support The First Flight New Play Festival and the presentation of new plays, click here.